Feds dole out millions for harm-reduction projects amid opioid overdose uptick
Following a dramatic increase in opioid-related overdoses and deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government recently announced tens of millions of dollars for projects to increase the safe supply of drugs and support drug treatment in both British Columbia and Ontario. NDP MP Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway, B.C.) and Green Party Leader Annamie Paul […]
Canada will need ‘intensive collaboration’ between provinces, territories, and federal government for next pandemic, say experts
In the fall of 1918, thousands of Canadians were dying on the battlefields of Europe in the First World War. Once the war ended on Nov. 11, 1918, however, the dying continued on the home front. The Spanish flu was reaching its crescendo that fall having first appeared in the spring, though it went “basically […]
‘There’s so much at stake with this’: Liberal MPs want landmark federal budget focused on economics, not politics
The government’s April 19 federal budget, the first one to be released in more than two years, will lay the foundation for the next election battle, say pollsters, but some Liberal MPs want it to focus on boosting the economy, not the Liberal Party’s political fortunes. “I don’t think it should be a very political […]
Don’t miss out on getting vaccine, urge MPs, Senators amid concerns over rare blood clots
Though it’s understandable many are wary of lining up for AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine amid reports of rare blood clots, passing up the opportunity to be innoculated would be a “foolish” decision, say experts and Parliamentarians who have already gotten their shot. Liberal MP Marcus Powlowski (Thunder Bay-Rainy River, Ont.), a 61-year-old former emergency-room doctor, said […]
Pandemic’s third wave, pre-budget posturing
Trudeau says eight million more Pfizer shots to arrive starting May, as Moderna halves April deliveries
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday assured Canadians that Pfizer is offering “reliable” weekly deliveries as he unveiled ramped-up shipment rates starting May amid a concerning Moderna halt on half its deliveries as the country reckons with an escalating third wave. Canada has purchased an extra eight million doses from Pfizer to flow over the […]
Feds likely to be drawn into talks on standardizing use of vaccine passports, despite reticence to wade in
The Trudeau government may be intent on leaving it up to premiers to decide whether to implement systems for tracking proof of vaccination, but some experts say that’s easier said than done. The debate raging over the adoption of vaccine passports domestically as a means of encouraging people engage in pre-pandemic activities is fraught with […]
Liberals move to cut short debate on UNDRIP bill after one day
The Liberal government cut off the second reading debate on its UNDRIP bill on Thursday, successfully moving a time allocation motion for a bill that had only been debated once in the Chamber. The NDP voted in favour of the motion, giving the Liberals the majority they needed in Parliament to stop the debate at […]
Appeal court overturns suspension of Canada-U.S. asylum agreement
The Federal Court of Appeal has overturned a landmark ruling that struck down the Canada-U.S. asylum agreement as unconstitutional, ruling instead the treaty can remain in place and finding fault with how the claimants mounted their Charter challenge. In a decision released Thursday, the court ruled in favour of the federal government, upholding the Safe […]
Federal support for Canada’s oil patch surged during pandemic, says new report
The pandemic has facilitated an increase in federal aid to the oil and gas sector in the last year amid the economic downturn, according to a new report. In a report released Thursday, Environmental Defence estimated that the government has either pledged to spend or distributed nearly $18-billion in support of the industry, including releasing […]
